A woman’s look, full house, Kira

In one of our meetings yesterday one of the attendants – a male – was constantly clicking the pen he had in his hand. It was very annoying. In my humble opinion, that was the goal. Eventually, one of the women in the class who had been glaring at him for over half an hour blurted out, “Why can you not hear what my face is saying?!” I thought that was one of the best one liners I have heard in a long time. It is also indicative of one of the most favored types of communication women use; somewhere in this order body language, facial expressions and feral sounds. I have adapted to Mama in this area but I have had it easier than most men because Mama is generally very open about what she feels I need to know about what she is thinking or feeling. Even when I may not understand what she needs from me in a given situation I get to hear the verbalization of the idea. For that I am thankful because, like most men, I am not gifted in guessing an offense I have committed or interpreting an offense from another towards her. She just tells me – as best she can. But I am pretty adept at hearing what her face is saying in most circumstances.

It was a busy morning this morning. The grandkids begin stirring every morning about the same time Mama and I normally get up so breakfast and Bible reading and coffee preparation and getting ready for work and petting the dogs and passing around Savana and everything else got jumbled up in a mix this morning. It was fun but it was very different. I suppose we will get used to it. I can start doing my Bible reading in the bathroom (so I can concentrate) and mornings will become a routine for all of us. It is, in all ways, a fun challenge. As is true in almost every home the youngest gets the most attention – whether they need it or not. In truth, she is “so stinkin’ cute” it is hard to refrain from picking her up or getting her passed to you from the person currently holding her, that getting anything routine done takes more time than usual. And she wants to be with the person who is doing something vs sitting on a lap, eating her oatmeal or playing happily on her own. We will enjoy it as long as the opportunity presents itself.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Kira has delivered five pups as of 6:30 pm. She has had a few worried moments but Victoria has been nurse-mating her for the entirety of the process. I began to realize the magnitude of the whelping when the family trip to get our Christmas tree was postponed due to the pups coming. Of course the grandkids are thrilled to be here for the delivery although Mykenzie has not been interested in the birthing. Something about it being gross. Grant, on the other hand, has been fascinated by the process. The dog building Grandpa built has worked out very well. He rigged up the lights and outlets to work off of a extension cord which we have run from the well house. So as Victoria keeps vigil over Kira it is being done in a warm, cozy little building sealed against the elements. 

I am pleased that the birth was begun in the Birthing Center and not in the house.

Busy Mama, good reports for Victoria, weary travelers, my Dad

I believe Mama has now come to the conclusion that she is far more rested when she spends her day at work. Taking time off has not been very restful for her. The plan for today had started with her taking Victoria to the doctor in Denton and then the two of them doing some shopping before returning home. What got changed is that Victoria also signed up for a performance test for the Post Office and had to rush from the doctor’s office to the testing center. Fortunately, the geography was in their favor for the short commute and she was able to make both appointments on time. Unfortunately, the testing area was not as productive a shopping area for Mama as was the area around the doctor’s office. That, combined with the fact that Victoria was able to complete the testing in about half an hour – it was scheduled for an hour and one half. Mama was a little disappointed with the little she got done for Christmas but somehow, I expect we will be able to make it up in the very near future.

On Victoria’s side of the morning, things went very well for her. Her tests at the doctor would normally have taken two hours but since Mama asked for things to be expedited the staff at the office got the routine finished in forty-five minutes.  The report she got from the doctor was a good report. So, that was a relief to all of us. I am assuming the test either went really well or really badly and she was not acting like it went badly. Anyway, Mama’s days off have a way of ending up being more tiring and less productive that when she has only a couple house free after work. Go figure. Victoria found out this evening that she did well enough on her assessment that she will progress to the next phase; whatever that is.

Keeping with the testing theme, we all got our grades back from the second test in this semester of FBI and Victoria took top prize. I came in last by one point; Victoria 105; Mama 100; Daddy 99. I can barely hold my head up after that humiliating setback. We should have the results for the last test sometime next week. Maybe I can redeem myself from my humbling 99% score. Mama was thrilled to have bested me.

Cori, Nate and the kids arrived at the farm just before I got home. They are worn out but happy to be settled for a spell. I am not sure if the final details have been worked out on just how long they will be staying with us but it will at least be through Christmas and New Years. I hope as they really do get settled in they will finally get the rest they need. They have a lot of catching up to do to refill their “sleep bank”. Unfortunately, the house was not designed for this many sleepers to have their own room but we can at least bed down the kids individually and still give Cori and Nate their privacy - even though they will have the baby in the room with them. Mama and I get to keep all the kids in our bedroom with us - each in a separate bed. It is a big master bedroom.

Martha sent a report on my Dad today. It was not a good report. He is being moved to a full time care facility (translate that, Nursing Home) because he is not able to meet any of his own daily needs by himself. He is weakening rapidly. I remember the same thing happening with Grandpa Hilficker. 

I do not believe he will be with us much longer.

Christmas setup, miniature headaches, Victoria’s testing, cold weather

The house is quickly taking on the feel of Christmas. Lighted miniature trees, festive placemats on the dining room table, Christmas Snow Globes on the side tables and wreaths on doors and mantles. Garland is out and a place has been designated for the Christmas tree, which we will probably purchase on Friday. Mama is still disappointed that we do not have a lot of lights – especially outdoor lights. I am not nearly as alarmed as she is but stringing lights and extension cords is not on my list of highly enjoyable tasks. Also, since we are the only house on the road and at the very end of that road, it is far less important to have a visible Christmas presence. I have always and only done it for Mama and her love of decorating for this season. When our children were younger it was a more pleasant chore but as they have gotten older, so have I, and my desire to have the house adorned with lights has faded even further. This year we will be applying the lighting inside the house where we can all enjoy it in warm, dry surroundings regardless of the weather conditions outdoors.

Yesterday one of my coworkers mentioned that when he failed to get a sneeze out he would get a “miniature headache”. That set the other two to laughing. “Either you have a headache or you don’t”, one said. “There has never been anything miniature about any of my headaches”, the other added. I can sympathize with all three views but I can relate to the “miniature headache” concept since I have had a minor – or miniature, if you prefer – headache for several weeks now. It is not a huge issue and is more likely related to the fact that I cannot wear a hat at work, so my head gets cold through the day. I do not think it will amount to anything but it can be uncomfortable. At least the Lord has protected me from getting the bronchitis I can get when my head gets cold. 

Pray for Victoria. She is taking a Post Office exam tomorrow. It will be an actual written exam at a designated testing site. The open post she is trying for is in Chico. If she could get that it would be a huge step up in pay, insurance and benefits, etc. We have no idea if there is a real opportunity there or not but she will still need our prayers as she completes the test tomorrow. Fortunately, she and Mama were planning the day in Denton. This just lengthens Mama’s time away from the house on her only day off before Nate, Cori and the kids arrive. (Yes. She is still stressing about that – but mostly in a good way.)

The weather will turn sharply colder this evening we have been told. It makes me wonder what happened in days gone by when there was no forecasting ability. I am happy for the warning. We will definitely heed it and get the plants in, cover the outside faucets, prep the coop, pig building and the goat areas for adequate shelter and heaters if needed. The waterers will freeze and we will deal with that as needed. They will also thaw as the day warms up. 

I am sure it will bother the animals less than it will bother Mama.

FBI, greedy cattle, rearranging

Last night, Mama, Victoria and I took our final test for this semester of FBI. I felt pretty good about the test but both Mama and Victoria were pretty sure they missed a few. It was interesting the way the test was structured. There were the normal multiple choice and true/false sections but there were three sections that were “put the following in the correct order”; the Ten Commandments, the Temple Furniture, and the Outline of the Bible. For some reason, it bothered me for #1 to be “f” and #2 to be “d”. I stared at it for a brief moment trying to get it to line up in my head and even when I started I was unsure if I was getting it right. After studying them in order – those were the instructions – it threw me off to see them so far out of order. After I finished the test I found out everyone struggled with the same thing. Victoria even asked our director if she was doing it right. With class finished for now we are glad to have the time off for a few weeks – especially since Christmas is almost upon us – but we always look forward to getting back into the class the next semester starts.

Mama told me as we were about to leave for class that the cattle had busted into the equipment shed where I had put the reserve bales of hay. I did not build the shed to withstand the jockeying of cattle as they fight over the best spot to attack a bale of hay so I was anxious to see if any damage had been done and get the fences back up again. But we were out of time to do it before class so I had to wait until we were through with our celebratory dinner after the test was complete. The young people in the class were not enthused about going to I-Hop so we went to Brahms. It was a fun, relaxed get together with some extras; the spouses of several classmates met us for the dinner. Even with the time we took there we were home two hours earlier than normal.

When we got home Mama and I changed into some farm clothes and headed to the shed. I told Mama I was not upset at the cows. I suppose I was more upset with myself for not getting the barriers more securely placed. I was impressed by the damage the cows had done to part of the fencing I had put around the shed but we were able to stretch it out and reuse it temporarily. I need to replace all the fencing with proper gates but I ran out of funds before I could purchase the gates I really wanted at the time. We wired in the temporary gates and fencing in the hope of keeping them out for a few more days – until upgraded repairs can be made. I have a bale of hay set out for the cows and will put another out no later than Thursday. So, they are not that hungry. They are just greedy. (Nature imitating life?)

Mama is in the process of getting some pieces of furniture moved to Grandma and Grandpa’s so we can make more space for the Mortenson crew. All the items in question needed to be relocated anyway so it is a good thing overall. Nothing like waiting until the need is pressing before addressing it, but such is our life. Along the same lines, I have yet to winterize the house and buildings and temperatures will be in the low twenties by Thursday night. Better late than never.

 Lunch was catered at work today in celebration of the Christmas season. It may seem a little early but the rest of the month is a packed schedule – especially as people who are more senior in the company try to use their vacation before the year ends. (They have a “use it or lose it” personal time off system.) I was able to get a plate for Mama and take it to her at the school before they cleared the tables. It was pretty good food and since Mama was not expecting me to show up for lunch, all she had was a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. 

The plate I loaded up for her was a pleasant surprise – but I was too late. She has already eaten so we will split the plate for dinner tonight.

Another busy weekend

Mama and I had a busy weekend. We spent most of the day Saturday cooking. I went bus calling with the Pastor in the morning but when I got back home we started in on the two turkeys Mama and I needed to get done for the dinner with the National Guard unit it Wichita Falls Sunday morning. Mama had already made two crockpots of chili for the gospel concert and chili dinner Saturday evening and both of those were simmering on the counter. I had left the turkeys out overnight so they would be completely thawed because I wanted to do one in the rotisserie. I put that one on as soon as I got home and set the timer for three hours. It did not take that long – only about two hours and fifteen minutes – but it came out very well. Mama and I are going to repeat the process at Christmas. The rotisserie does not heat up the kitchen as much as the ovens do and it keeps the meat tender and moist. I do not know why we have not been using it more.

We did the other turkey in the oven – the more conventional way. It was a sixteen pounder that I had been given at work. I put it in the oven just before we left for the concert at church. The Marksmen were there and they put on a really good concert for us. Everyone ate chili afterwards. I think there were fourteen crockpots of chili there. Some of the chili looked hot enough to scald you just by toughing it – but that was the chili that had the least left at the end of the night. Mama got a little of that one and I took one bite - that was far more than enough for me. Of the two crockpots we took there was very little eaten but I did not feel badly. There was so much there and most people put the chili over corn chips or Fritos to lessen the bite. We gave one crockpot to a missionary couple to take home and I packaged the other to put in the freezer.

The turkey we had left in the over was not quite done when we got home. I had hoped for that because I did not want to get it overdone. I was able to get it out of the oven just minutes after the little probe inserted into the breast indicated it to be at the properly cooked temperature. It was the juiciest turkey Mama and I have ever done in the oven. When I carved both of the birds Sunday morning they filled the roaster pan we were taking with us to the dinner. I was pleased with that because we did not want to run out of food. As it turned out, we did not need to worry. There were two roasters full of carved turkey in addition to ours and a couple of the unit members were cooking a turkey in an oil-less fryer. Mama and I ended up taking home about half a turkey – mostly dark meat, which was great for me but not so much for Mama. That too will go into the freezer for me to make soup out of in the near future; even though Mama told me that she does not like dark meat even when it is in soup. I guess most of the other diners at the Guard felt like she does.

Cori, Nate and the kids will be here Thursday evening so some meals in the freezer will not be a bad thing.

The picture is of a little warrior Princess who was at the dinner with her family. In case you cannot make it out, she has a sword tucked down the back of her dress.

Dad, busy weekend, hay deliveries

I got some bad news on my Dad last night from my sister Martha. Dad needed help getting from the chair he frequents in the common area of the home back to his room. It took both Martha and another person to get him that distance – and, according to Martha, they almost did not make it. She then had to help him get his legs into the bed. Not a good thing, but not totally unexpected. Dad is having some other problems. None serious, but cumulatively, they do not present a good prognosis. He told me the last time we actually had a good visit that he was tired and ready to go home. I believe him. Mom has been gone since February and he has been in the mental care unit since July. 

For a man of his past intellectual prowess and determined independence the exclusion from the life he knew with Mom (60+ years’ worth of life) have taken a toll on his psyche and ego – fragmented though those memories are to him now. If he makes it to the end of the month he will be 92 years old. I would be tired too. I wrestled with the idea of going down to see Dad after the news but refrained. Mama is expecting Cori, Nate and the kids to be here next week and I think Cori would like the chance to see her Grandpa Kline one more time – providing he is still with us. Victoria is also wanting to make the trip if she can get free on a Saturday. So, I will wait to go. I have already said my goodbyes to Dad but I will take every opportunity I get to see him. 

This weekend is going to be a cooking marathon for Mama and me. One of the reasons for not going to Brenham. Tomorrow we have a Christian Quartet at the church and to get more participation our pastor invited several area churches to come for the concert. And, since so many people would be there about supper time we are going to have a chili cookoff – complete with all the extras. It will be a Rolaids weekend for me. In addition to that, we are going to Wichita Falls Sunday morning to have a belated Thanksgiving dinner for the National Guard Troop there. For that event, we have to prepare two turkeys. I am not sure what else we have to fix but just that will be a challenge to get done – and not get overdone – along with a pot of chili and a pot potato soup. Mama is fixing the potato soup for those who cannot eat the chili – regardless of how spicy it is.

Last night Mama and Grandpa went to a local farmer and got six round bales of hay. It was last year’s hay but it was still very good quality; and it was only $20 per bale. They were just pulling into the barn paddock when I got the tractor started. It has been sitting in the equipment shed I built behind the barn. It was good, although unexpected, timing. Mama was quite pleased that I was there but it took some of the exuberance out of the moment when I told her I was there to get a pallet so I could get the bales of hay out of the bed of the truck – not in anticipation of her being there. Regardless, I unloaded the round bales and put one out so the cows would not feel obliged to start eating them from the trailer. I knew they would be hungry because there is not much to eat on our little ten-acre farm. I had originally wanted to get the hay no later than Monday or Tuesday so I was already several days behind what I knew they needed. They have been back on the farm since Friday evening. They think we had them on a diet so I was happy to prove to them that I intend to feed them – and fill them up.

(My dad always said when we were still hungry after dinner, “My contract was to feed you, not to fill you up.”)

I expect them to eat the first bale entirely by Sunday evening.

Animals in the cold, FBI, family coming

Mama and I got to sit this morning for a few minutes and watch the squirrels play in one of the trees in the front yard -actually, in the circle at the entrance to the property. I have counted as many as four but even to arrive at that count is normally a challenge. This morning I think there were four but we never got a good count. They play a complicated and almost dangerous game of either tag or follow the leader. (I am a little rusty on my squeak-squeaker-squeakum or I would ask.) They run through the branches at breakneck speeds, reversing, jumping from limb to limb, narrowly keeping themselves from falling to the ground. They do fall from time to time, just not all the way to the ground. Now that the leaves have fallen and the branches are bare it is more fun to watch – as long as you don’t try to follow every movement. That can give you a case of vertigo.

The frost this morning only seemed to energize the animals on the farm – squirrels included. Our Pyrenees seem especially happy when the temperature is between 30 and 50 degrees. They tolerate all the other days of the year but this is their time. Mama worries about the chickens when the temperature gets uncomfortable for her but they do not seem to mind too much. I fear getting the coop too warm and not allowing them to adapt to the ambient temperatures. My goal is to keep the coop above freezing and not much more, but I think she has other ambitions. Time will tell.  At any rate, the rain over the weekend will test the temporary power I have run to the coop. It should be fine. (I hope.) If it is we will figure out how to run a couple of heaters for our pampered birds. My challenge is to devise a way to keep the poop off the heaters. (Can you imagine what that would smell like?) I believe Mama’s goal is to get them to lay more. Maybe it will work, maybe not. Next I will be installing a swing for each side of the coop. She read about it on some chicken social network – run by humans who love chickens.

Mama, Victoria and I are in the final stretch of this semester with FBI. Our last test is Monday evening. Right now, we are studying for that exam. It should not be too difficult but it still merits a fair amount of study. Like I used to tell my children when it was time to test, numbers closer to 100 are preferred. We have not gotten the grades from our last test so we are not exactly sure how that turned out but the expectation is that we did well enough to not be embarrassed by the score. It will be nice to have some time off on Monday nights for a month. It will give Mama and I just a little extra time to get a few more little things done as Christmas approaches.

Nate, Cori and the kids may be here at the end of next week so Mama is starting to stress out about getting the house ready – or readier – for them. I told Mama, if they showed up tonight we would make due. 

Sadly, that did not ease her concerns.